The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-26
pLUNDERED BY POLITICIANS
How the Insane Hospital Is Run in the
Interest of Democratic Clique.
Political Bummers Employed as Attendants
During Campaign Work Under Sim Coys
Direction--John e. Sulliyan's Threat.


terday morning, with Clay Lennon, of Dubois
county, on the stand. Mr.. Lennon testified
that the 10th day of December, 1886, an Old
man, very feeble and evidently very sick, came
to his house and asked to stay all night The
man was a German, and he could not under
stand much of his conversation. but he showed
that he was deranged At o'clock in the night
the witness heard him moan, and, going to his
bedside, saw that he was very low. Aphyslcian
was sent for, who came and attended TO him,
but at o'clock on the morning Of the 18th the
old man died. At that time the witness did not
know who the old man was On looking at his
clothing he found under the collar of his coat,
and also under that of his vest the name Frank
knorr. The witness called the township trustee,
n. B. Cofiman, who buried him.
n. b. Coffman, the township trustee referred
TO, was the next witness He testified to having
buried the man Knorr. Later on he found the
name in Adiutant-eeneral Terrell's report, and
that Frank Knorr had enlisted at Lawrence
burg, Ind. and had been captain in the Thirty
second Indiana Regiment On writing to Law
renceburg he found that Knorr was an escaped
patient Of the Indiana Hospital for the Insane
A man named Rose came to the witness from
the Asylum, who said that Captain Knorr had
escaped about Sept. 20, 1886. Rose called on
witness on the 9th of January 1887. The body
was taken up and delivered to Rose, and shipped
by express to the widow, Kate Knorr, at Law
renceburg.
Thomas Fl. Carruthers, iron merchant, of the
firm of George Kinsey g. Co.. Cincinnati, one of
the partners in that house, was the next wit
ness He said ne had never manufactured iron,
but had dealt in it for twenty three years. He
testified that he furnished the iron to Heth-
erington & Berner to be used in
making new boilers for the Hospital
Cor Insane. The specifications called for
charcoal No. l, $1,000 iron. At that time the
cleveland rolling mill, the brand of iron sold by
witnesses house. was shut down, and the iron had
to be bought of the Sprinfeld Iron Company.
When the iron arrived, Kinsey & Co. were in
formed by Hetherington & Berner that it was
not properly stamped. The Springfield Iron
Company said it was an omission, and q man
was sent to indianapolis to stamp the iron. The
witness met the man sent to stamp the iron at
Hetherineton g. Berner's shop. Mr.. Neilan. the
foreman for Hetherington & Berner, had said to
the witness he had examined some of the sheets
and found the material was what he considered
good boiler material. They were given every
opportunity to test the iron. Stacey didn't test
the iron in the witnesses presence, and the wit
ness had never seen any test of the iron made.
Kinsey & Co. had paid for that iron to the full
price Of 50, 900 tensile strength charcoal iron.
Benjamin f. Hoyherington, senior member of
the firm of Hetherington g. Berner, founders
and machInists, was the next witness. He had
been engaged in the business for himself for
about eighteen years, and had followed the bust
ness all his life. Edw4l .elan was the fore
man>At the time the new boilers were making.
Th9 order for the iron was placed with George
EinseysS CO., Jf whom the firm bought its iron.
AT tho time the order was placed the firm of
Kinsey & Co. were put under bond of $50 day
to complete the order in time, as the firm were
restricted as TO time. Kinsey 81 CO. s place OF
business is in Cincinnati They are part own
ers in the Cleveland rolling mill, at
Cleveland. Kinsey & Co. could not furnish
the iron according to time. The iron was fur
nished by the Sprinfeld Iron Company to
Kinsev 6S Co., and came to Hetherlngton &
Berner's possession. The boilers were con
structed in accordance with the plans. AL the
Iron was stamped except about four sheets. A
man came and stamped the unstamped sheets He
did not at any time order Neelan to keep con
ceAled any 0efectS In the iron as the boilers
were building. He did not give Instructions tC
any one to watch, to turn the boiler over
or cover defects in the work so as not to be dis
covered by Mr.. Stacey. The witness said the
boilers were tested up to 125 pounds pressure.
Question-Werc there any plates through which the
water ooZed under the testl
Answer-No. sir; not any.
Q.-What do you know of parts breaking out while
they chipping them9
Al didn't know of anything of that kind oc
curing at all. Stacey came round occasionally, bu
generally he was in a condition he didn't know VIVA
he talking about. He usually drunk. IL
talking with him. his tongue thick l could d.
nothing with him, and would have to leave him
Stacey seemed determined to make it hot for from
the very first He did not seem to want us to hav
the job.
from getting your pay?
Ale said he would make it hot for us to ge
our pay. lie seemed to depreciate our work from tn
word 60.
The witness said he had done nothing to 90
Stacey discharged. He said the iron in tn
boilers did not split out and there was not
blister that no knew of, and the bevels wer
smooth as could be. The boilers were no
patched He believed the boilers had bee1
patched since they were delivered. They wer
delivered about November. 1885, The witEes
testified to having employed painter named
Adophus Creeters at the request of DIR. Harri
son soon after getting that contract for tn
boilers.
Theodore Detz butcher, testified that he hat
sold fresh beef and smoked meats to the Hos
pital for the Insane, and that the best is re
4uired. The beeves, steers are to weigh NO
less than 600 pounds dressed. and the smoked
meats are required to be Kingan's.
Minnie Naughton attendant at the hospital
testified that the food furnished the patients wa
good. but that the butter was often strong.
Maggie Foley, supervisor in the female de
parttnent of the hospital, testified to The genera
good character of the food but that the butte
had been bad great many times. She testife,
that the condition of the patients was nucl
better under the non-restraint system introduce,
by DIR. Fletcher
Annie Sweeney usher at the hospital depart
ment for women, testified TO the food being good
with the usual drawback as to butter. Sine
DR.. Fletcher had been there the patients ha,
canned peaches quite often.
DR.. Sarah Stockton gave the story of the dis
L. ..,A hor nf